By K, KNA
The national government on Monday rolled out nine bulk milk coolers under the Livestock Value Chain Support Project (LVCSP) worth Sh70 million in Kericho County, with Principal Secretary for Livestock Development Jonathan Mueke flagging off the coolers at Moi Gardens in Kericho Town, in an initiative aimed at enhancing milk preservation, reducing post-harvest losses, ensuring compliance with quality standards, and increasing earnings for thousands of smallholder dairy farmers across the county.
The Principal Secretary confirmed that 12 milk coolers have been allocated across Kericho County, with nine units handed over for immediate distribution to selected cooperative societies and three additional units scheduled for delivery in March, noting that the coolers will collectively preserve about 855,000 litres of milk each month, equivalent to nearly 47 million litres annually, with approximately 19,000 litres kept chilled daily to maintain freshness and quality.
Mr. Mueke explained that the programme is designed to strengthen milk aggregation at the cooperative level, minimize losses caused by delayed cooling, and ensure that farmers deliver milk that meets the required safety and quality standards for formal markets.
The PS emphasized that improved milk production must go hand in hand with proper animal health management, noting that the ongoing livestock vaccination programme, recently launched in Kericho to protect cattle against foot-and-mouth disease is designed to safeguard herd health, reduce disease-related losses, and ensure consistent milk yields for farmers.
The Principal Secretary further revealed that the State Department is expanding access to sexed semen, a specialized form of artificial insemination that increases the chances of producing female calves, which later grow into milk-producing cows and boost overall milk output, noting that the government has reduced the cost of sexed semen from Sh 8,000 to Sh 1,000 per dose to make this advanced breeding technology affordable and accessible to livestock farmers.
He noted that under the QualityBased Milk Payment System, milk will be tested at collection centres for key quality parameters including butterfat and protein content, bacterial load and compliance with hygiene and safety standards, allowing farmers whose milk meets higher quality thresholds to earn premium prices of up to Sh65 per liter compared with the prevailing average price of about Sh45, as processors increasingly link pay to quality rather than volume.
“We are now moving from paying farmers for the quantity of milk to rewarding them for quality, so those who maintain high standards in handling, hygiene, and nutrient content will earn better returns,” explained Mr. Mueke.
The Principal Secretary assured that in line with a Presidential directive to revitalize the dairy value chain and ensure prompt payments to milk suppliers, the government has injected significant funding into the New Kenya Cooperative Creameries to strengthen its processing capacity and ensure timely payments to farmers supplying milk, a move aimed at resolving delayed payments and restoring confidence in the dairy market.
Meanwhile the Kericho Governor Dr. Eric Mutai said the milk coolers will support targeted cooperative societies among the county’s 46 dairy cooperatives, noting that 25 already had cooling facilities and the national government’s intervention has addressed the existing gap.
He announced that the county government plans to establish a milk processing factory to promote value addition, provide subsidized animal feeds to cooperatives, and has directed cooperative officers to inspect all coolers to ensure proper utilization, with any idle units set to be recalled and reallocated.
Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot who also graced the occasion said the county aims to shift from selling raw milk to producing processed dairy products for higher returns, noting that the solar-powered coolers launched today will eliminate electricity costs and improve profitability for farmers.
Other guests who attended the event included Aurelia Chepkirui Rono, Principal Secretary for the State Department for Parliamentary Affairs in the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary; Nominated Senator Joyce Chepkoech Korir; area Members of the County Assembly; Cooperative Union of Kericho Chairman Moses Rotich; and Kericho East Deputy County Commissioner Dr. Kibe Maguta, all of whom pledged their continued support for the government’s dairy development programme.